Planet Interna
The Planet Interna A planet considered to once have been comparable to the perfect world, it's tropical climate all around the year and abundance in livestock and fertile ground make it a 'reasonably' habitable planet. Interna has been widely deforested, making way for the large steel and cement cities of her dominating inhabitants, who could be categorized into the same folder as an ordinary human. Once a paradise from pole to pole, most of the planets surface is now covered by one large city, with the same name as the planet. Off-world ships and people are advised not to set foot here, and trading with other civilizations are kept to a minimum so far. The few that do, are often greeted with suspicion and higher then usual prices. Forests of palm trees still remain scattered on Interna, albeit a more and more rare sight with almost only water left not covered by their Capitol. Some wild creatures remain in the woods, monkeys and panthers are a common sighting, if one locates a forest. Below the water's surface, life is relatively unhindered. Gigantic masses of fish and even whales live here, and a special type of sea-serpent can be sighted by shorelines, hunting for prey, yet staying away from Internians. The City Interna Interna, the Capitol, and one out of two major cities on the planet, is a bustling city. Having no form of government, corporations have long vyed for control over the city, however due to its sheer size, none has so far succeeded to gain but pieces of the whole. A full scale war between corporations rarely happens though, as they all see another company's downfall as possibly bad for the entire city. This does not stop them from sabotaging and stealing from each other, however. Covering most of the planet, it's citizens have replaced the original flora and fauna with artificial parks and farms, resembling giant factories. Lack of government and a constantly boosting economy, crime is at an all-time high. Corporations train their own soldiers to protect their interests, leaving average citizens to fend for themselves best they can. Culture of Interna The most notable thing about the overall culture of Interna is the perspective of man and woman. They are called equal by society, and many corporations have women in positions of power, with no drawbacks for their gender. There are however many things females are prohibited to do. Work in factories, become Slashball players are among a diverse set of things. Prostitution is a legal trade only available to women. Prostitutes are referred to as Entertainers, and being an entertainer is respected by other citizens. Many entertainers have long-term contracts with corporations, others join together to form companies of their own. An entertainer picks her own clients, and are because of this usually reserved to those with wealth and etiquette. The most prominent gathering of entertainers is run by a rather young entertainer named Shaejana. Not much is known of her except that she takes only the best of clients, and is seen as quite a powerhouse in her business. Other entertainment, like most other things on Interna, is seen as a commodity, and is provided by different corporations. Giant Tv-stations tower next to eachother, broadcasting more propaganda and slander then entertainment shows. Those citizens whom wish not to spend their time in front of a screen usually spend it outside. Theatres are also a common sighting, with plays going around the clock for an entry fee. Sports The warm and almost always perfect weather has made outside sports popular. The most popular being 'Slashball', which is played by three teams of four men. Women have so far been excluded from player rosters, and no protests have been voiced. A 'Slashball' is essentially a magnetic steel ball with small spikes covering most of one side. Not large enough to kill normally, accidents do happen rather often, and Slashball stands for at least 20 percent of all recorded deaths. Slashball players make millions of Credits in a single year, mostly from marketing campaigns, but also from insurance plans when injured. So far no Slashball player has remained uninjured through their first year, many don't make their second. The most famous Slashball player is Dirk Derrington, star player of the Sliders, supported by a powerful corporation named Tyrel Corp. With such high rates of injury, it could seem unseemly to have such a sport, however the relatively peaceful citizens of Interna thrive on betting on the winning teams, and watching the violence ensue. Slashball works in the manner of each team standing in a large square of their own, called 'Home base'. Every player, twelve on the field originally, are equipped with magnetic breastplates, which fiercely pull the ball towards them, if in proximity. To win, a team has to score the most points out of the three teams currently in play. Points are given in the manner of 1 point per opposing player knocked out of their 'Home base', and another point if the knocked out player is incapacitated with the blow. To knock out other players, the Slashball must be thrown with great force, and since twelve years back, devices are placed in the contestants hands, to aid the throw by pushing the ball away when activated. Suffice to say, throw weak enough, and the ball will come right back at the player, or someone from his team. Knocking out your own team deducts points from your score, 1 for knockout, and 2 for incapacitating. Stepping out of the square is counted as a knockout, and deducts a point from the player's team. Ground Level Ground level of Interna is better known as 'The Slums', where the few people whom are poor live, along with those hunted by Corporations for stealing, breaking and entering, or just being at the wrong place. The Slums are non-existant in the average citizens eye, denying that there are those unfortunate enough to have no home in their lovely city. The Slums house several thousand men and women whom are usually forced down here due to debts, crimes or having their lifes destroyed in some manner. Due to SinDyne's abduction of the Slums inhabitants, almost the entire population down in the Slums has grown to hate them, and many have taken up arms against them, forming a relatively big resistance group intent on bringing the corrupt company down. With little contact to the above layers of the city, they have bad logistics and are too uncoordinated to make a larger difference as it is. Another group has recently been noted, springing up from nowhere, or so it seems. Calling themselves the 'Interna Freedom Alliance' or IFA, for short. This militant group seems to have funding, dressed in battle-armour from the surface and with modern weaponry. Knowing where to strike, they keep the citizens of the Slums as safe as they can. Few in numbers, but hardy and skilled in both fighting and tactics, they have beaten back more than one raid against the populace. Together with the fighting peasants, they pose an actual threat, should they decide to strike back one day, however, they seem intent on securing the ground levels from more raids, and never go topside. Sin, the other city Once named Aolon, in honor of the first man to break from the old laws of Interna to start the first free trading, it has since been renamed. A needle in the haystack when compared to Interna, Sin is a rather small city on the outskirts of the seemingly never-ending Interna. Run by a Corporation under the name Zalation Corp, it is comprised of factories, with workers' quarters implemented, as to save space. The luxurious nature of Interna is long lost here, with it's black smoke visible from far away. A haven for mercenaries and thieves, Zalation hires anyone willing to get their hands in their works, which mostly entails weapon-crafting, Shipbuilding, and massproducing drugs to sell on the streets of Interna. Ships dock here considerably more often then most docks in Interna, being the port of call for many pirates working for Zalation Corp. SinDyne The undeniably most sinister force on Interna, SinDyne is run by a trio of businessmen, whom in return obey a man only rumored to exist. This man's name is X, with no apparent information save for several rumours that X is originally an offworlder, and spies are weeded out with fair ease from the masses, showing SinDyne has a level of control the other Corporations do not, how is not known. The Corporations greatest accomplishment would be the first warp-drive to be constructed by Internians. Closely followed by a Plasma pressure rifle, and a handheld lightweight pulse grenade. SinDyne has a fearsome military force, hiring every goon they can find for purposes unknown to most Interna. The reason off-worlders are advised to stay away is SinDyne Inc's doing. Stealing away the poor from the Slums, and anyone who is not missed, to work in Zalations Corp's factories until death, the occasional unlucky visitors to Interna suddenly go missing, never to be seen again. Citizens with healthy incomes registered in Interna under a Corporation are never touched, however. SinDyne has stocks in several other corporations, receiving huge amounts of money from their side. Trio of SinDyne SinDyne was a fairly benevolent Corporation until a complete change in management occured. Three newcomers rose from the ranks of unknown, to stand in for the old CEO, retiring to a rich life in Interna. They remain relatively secluded, only leaving their hideouts in Interna to meet with eachother, or other men of interest. *'Rinnae "Dragon" Criee' A muscular man in his late thirties, he controls the militaristic side of SinDyne Inc. Lately known for crushing a small riot in the Slums with only a diminiutive force of soldiers. Strategic to the bone, he is as close to a warlord as you get, on Interna. Usually seen in heavy power armour, he looks more and more as a machine as they add to his already impenetrable defences. He usually has at least one weapon nearby, always looking for opportunities to better his fighting. A master of all firearms, he favours his latest construction - The Gattling Pulse-gun. *'Areagan "Raven" Paner' Almost the opposite to Rinnae, Areagan is somewhat frail, thin, almost scrawny. Age is already catching up to him, something he seems disturbed by, hiding his receding hairline at all times by a SinDyne beret, like those worn by Corporation bodyguards. Strict man, following a special dresscode with only suits in it, he has a low tolerance to anyone who fails to follow his own dresscode, and has ended more than one meeting because of his contempt to the other parties' clothes. Handling all business arrangements, Areagan has his days full of lining his pockets with credits, and bossing the others around. *'Erin "Serpent" D'Crii' A stunningly beautiful woman, or so they say. Acting SinDyne's Public Relations manager, one would think Erin speaks to the masses on behalf of the company, however, D'Crii spends her time locked away, sending her affiliates to handle her job while she trains herself endlessly in several areas. Most prominent are Martial arts, Phase-blades, and normal weaponry. Almost never seen, except when called upon in crisis, many believe she is insane, or afraid of something. Operations under the covers Although never truly confirmed, SinDyne has invested heavily in bioengineering and what they file in as Healthcare. Weapons research is another heavy subject. Cloning research stolen has been tracked to the Corporation, however they deny all involvement in theft. A successful recon of their facilities revealed glass storage tanks, containing people of various ages labelled by numbers. Peth "Gryphon" Ethorin is perhaps the most loyal man at SinDyne, working directly under Miss D'Crii. To the public, Peth is a Public Relations manager's aide, filling his days with surveys and creating new ways to recruit the hopefuls into SinDyne's ranks. Originally an offworlder, Peth was a mercenary set to protect a merchant vessel headed for Interna. The ship was boarded by SinDyne's thugs, and fell into their hands easily. Peth was one of the few to resist, yet had to give up in the end, being brought in as a captive. Getting an offer to join the Company for a higher wage than what he was previously paid, he quickly signed on SinDyne as muscle. Slowly rising in standing within the private army, he soon found himself under the eye of the management, his successes in missions bringing quite the attention. Erin D'Crii offered him a position as her right hand man, where he has been since. His true job is to silence the opposition, by any means necessary. Being D'Crii's own messenger gives him clearence to do whatever he pleases in almost all of SinDyne and Interna. More often then not, he is out on a less diplomatic mission, whereas his target is erased from existance in all records, never having lived according to the computers. Mr. X A rumour only, Mr. X is said to be the brain behind SinDyne, and it has been theorized he could be the original creator of the Company. The theory was brushed off however, as SinDyne is over 300 years old. Who Mr X is, and if he exists, remains a mystery to this day.